potenciální

Potenciální is a Czech adjective meaning potential or possible, used to describe something that could become real under suitable conditions, or relating to possibility rather than actuality. It is widely used in scientific language as well as in everyday speech, often in phrases that denote future prospects or theoretical constructs.

Etymology and general use: The term is derived from Latin potentia and entered Czech through historical linguistic contact, commonly formed with the suffix -ální to produce potenciální. In everyday language, it appears in expressions such as potenciální zákazník (potential customer) or potenciální riziko (potential risk).

In physics and engineering: Potenciál refers to a scalar field whose gradient relates to a conservative force. The potential, denoted V or φ in many texts, satisfies F = −∇V, where F is the force corresponding to the field. Potenciální energie (potential energy) is the energy associated with the position of a body in this field, with higher potential energy indicating a greater capacity to do work when the system changes state. Common examples include gravitational potential energy and electrostatic potential energy; the latter arises from the electrostatic potential (elektrický potenciál) of a charge distribution.

In mathematics: Potenciální teorie (potential theory) studies potentials and related harmonic functions, often using integral representations and Green’s functions to analyze fields such as gravitational or electrostatic fields. Functions that generate potentials are sometimes called potenciálové funkce (potential functions).

See also: potenciál, potenciálová energie, elektrostatický potenciál, potenciálová teorie.